Dad who slashed son at cemetery legally insane

San Diego  A man who tried to sacrifice his 8-year-old son in a cemetery last year was determined on Thursday to be not guilty by reason of insanity, meaning he will likely be sent to a state hospital rather than prison.

Joseph Adalberto Ramirez, 32, admitted to a charge of attempted murder last month as well as an allegation that he caused great bodily injury to the boy. But because Ramirez had previously entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, a trial was scheduled to determine whether he was legally sane at the time he committed the offense.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Leo Valentine Jr. determined during the brief bench trial that Ramirez was not sane when he slashed the young boy’s forearms at Mount Hope Cemetery.

The judge reviewed reports from three medical experts, all of whom concluded that Ramirez, who had been a stay-at-home dad, suffered a psychotic episode as a result of “some mental disease, defect or disorder.” Because of that, he was unable to differentiate between right and wrong at the time of the slashing.

Courtney Cutter, a deputy public defender who represented Ramirez, said her client had by all accounts been a loving and devoted father before this, his first psychotic break. She said there had been no signs of a problem until two or three days before the incident.

At the time of the slashing, Ramirez was under a delusion that God had commanded him to sacrifice his son to prevent the destruction of the world, Cutter said.

“Mr. Ramirez is horrified and heartbroken at the realization of what has happened,” she told the judge.

The attorney noted that with the help of treatment and medication, Ramirez was “seemingly better” now. She said his family members, including his wife, continue to be supportive and hope that one day he will be able to return home.

Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello expressed his well wishes for the family in court. He did not argue against the findings of the medical experts or the judge.

Ramirez was arrested at the cemetery April 28, after witnesses saw him slicing the boy’s forearms with a broken piece of glass. Two 21-year-old women intervened and Ramirez fled, leaving his wife, son and two younger daughters behind.